Claridges is a feast The five star deluxe hotel in the heart of London’s Mayfair is the last word in luxury,

Claridges is a feast The five star deluxe hotel in the heart of London’s Mayfair is not only the last word in luxury, it is also a key part of the city’s history.

Star, socialites and the crowned heads of Europe have feasted - and stayed - here for more than a century.

But don’t worry if you’re not a star or a socialite because the dedicated and efficient staff will make you feel like one with a welcome that would do justice to Royalty.

We step into the foyer with its sweeping and majestic staircase, its glittering chandeliers and embellished mirrors and its beautiful floral arrangements.


It is the flowers that capture the senses not just with their aesthetic beauty but with their wonderful scent. Today the theme is a golden one and everywhere the eye can see, cascades of deep yellow roses - hundreds of them - fill containers. The centrepiece alone is a worthy of a Chelsea gold medal.

We are ushered to our table, set with pristine white linen and laid with mint-green fine china in keeping with the hotel’s legendary Art Deco style.

We have deliberately skipped lunch (and breakfast if we’re being totally honest) in order to savour the delights that we know are to be placed before us.

When it arrives, it’s a tower of treasures: delicate finger sandwiches with a variety of fillings, smoked salmon, cured ham, free-range egg, smoked chicken and of course, cucumber.

“Would we like more,” asks a waiter who has been keeping his beady eye on us and obviously seen us demolish the plateful.

Eager to move on to the next layer of the tower, we decline.

Now it’s time to sample the freshly-baked scones - two kinds. There’s apple and there’s raisin which we crown with tea-infused rosehip jam and lashings of rich, clotted Devonshire cream.

Today is a day not to count calories but to indulge our palates and so when the last crumb is digested (again we are offered a replenished plate) we finally reach the pinnacle of the tower.

This composition is a cake-lover’s nirvana. A rich chocolate layer cake nestles alongside a delicate meringue oozing a fresh strawberry coulis and vanilla cream. Then there’s a lemon concoction (I lay claim to that straight-away) and a tiny shot glass filled with a layered fruity creation.

All of these pastries, cakes and deserts may have been created in miniature but not a detail of their flavour or deign has been sacrificed. Each one is a mini masterpiece.

Afternoon tea at Claridges is an English tradition at its finest for Claridges serves the best afternoon tea in London. Fact. They have a whole collection of awards to prove it.

This year again the hotel celebrated being named London’s finest venue for afternoon tea for the second time when they received The Tea Guild’s Top London Afternoon Tea 2011 award, the highest accolade in the tea world.

Oh and did I mention the tea itself? There is a choice of 30 varieties from all corners of the world to choose from.

Some of the world’s greatest designers have left their mark on Claridge’s and original features mingle with distinctly modern twists.

It is this wonderful, effortless Art Deco elegance, coupled with immaculate attention to detail and scrumptious eats that makes this hotel so special.

They say that a stay at Claridge’s is an unforgettable experience. Well a couple of hours enjoying afternoon tea is pretty memorable too.

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“Jazz at the Park” Summer Concert Series at the Southern California luxury hotel and resort.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort announces the highly anticipated return of the popular “Jazz at the Park” Summer Concert Series at the Southern California luxury hotel and resort. New for 2011, shows will move to Saturday evenings from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, July 9-30, 2011. The "Jazz at the Park" concert series showcases the world's hottest smooth jazz artists in the casual surroundings of the Resort's outdoor Events Center featuring beautiful sunset views of Aviara's rolling hills, within North San Diego.
Featured artists for the 2011 San Diego luxury resort’s "Jazz at the Park” concert series include Euge Groove, July 9, 2011; Mindi Abair, July 16, 2011; Bobby Caldwell, July 23, 2011; and Richard Elliot, July 30, 2011.
"We are thrilled to bring ‘Jazz at the Park’ back for 2011. The concert series has always been a unique summer event anticipated by our guests and locals alike, and will be an integral part of the summer season at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort” said General Manager, Mark Stiebeling. "All of us at the Resort are looking forward to its return, and another memorable season of smooth jazz in a one-of-a-kind setting.”
The intimate outdoor setting includes theater-style seating, as well as open seating around cocktail tables. For guests wanting to enjoy alfresco dining, Executive Chef Pierre Albaladejo of the Southern California luxury hotel presents an array of delectable dishes and desserts, perfect for enjoying during the concert.
The concert series kicks off on Saturday, July 9, 2011, with the smooth sounds of saxophonist Euge Groove. The 2011 "Jazz at the Park" series draws to a close on Saturday, July 30, with veteran saxophonist Richard Elliot.
Each "Jazz at the Park" concert is an exclusive event, complimentary for guests staying at the Resort. A limited number of tickets will be sold to the general public at $65.00 each or $220.00 for the series. Tickets can be purchased by visiting jazzatthepark.com. All concerts begin promptly at 6:00 pm and conclude at approximately 8:00 pm. Doors open at 5:00 pm.
Local concert guests are encouraged to access the concert venue by exiting I-5 at Poinsettia Drive, head east, then turn right on to Batiquitos Drive. Signage will direct guests to the self-parking facility adjacent to the stage.
For more information on “Jazz at the Park” at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, please visit jazzatthepark.com. For reservations or information on other packages, please call 760.448.1234.
About Park Hyatt Aviara Resort
Secluded amidst 200 acres of verdant hillsides and rolling valleys within the master-planned community of Aviara, Southern California’s luxury hotel and resort, Park Hyatt Aviara, provides an appealing setting for any function. The resort’s Spanish colonial architecture welcomes with a sense of casual elegance. Each of the 329 spacious guest rooms – including 44 suites – features a private balcony or landscaped terrace offering magnificent views. Expansive facilities for meetings and special events are enhanced by complete resort amenities, from acclaimed dining at four on-site restaurants, to a full-service spa, swimming, tennis, a fitness center and an Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole championship golf course. Follow Park Hyatt Aviara on Twitter, @ParkHyattAviara and become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ParkHyattAviara.

 

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The duchess wore a £3,835 rose pink sequinned Jenny Packham dress for the party, where tickets cost a minimum £10,000.

Guests paid up to £100,000 to be at the party. Boozy super-rich bankers, ­hedge-fund managers and property developers were among the crowd and they surged forward at every ­opportunity to get a glimpse of Kate.A guest said: “It was the most ­extravagant, ostentatious, over-the-top bash you can ever imagine with bankers splashing their cash like there’s no tomorrow. It was not the sort of occasion you would normally associate with royalty. But Kate and Wills took it in their stride like true professionals.”

The duchess wore a £3,835 rose pink sequinned Jenny Packham dress for the party, where tickets cost a minimum £10,000.

Wills was even wolf-whistled by female bankers as the expensive drink flowed. And vast amounts of cash was splashed at a charity auction with lots worth a combined £17.2million.

The extraordinary scenes left Kate and Wills a little shell-shocked when they arrived for the do on Thursday night, organised by Ark founder Arpad Busson. As Kate walked up the purple carpet, she spotted the Speedo-clad troupe of men and women who were acrobatically diving into a massive swimming pool to entertain guests.

She pointed at one man and was overheard declaring in astonishment: “Look at that, Will.” Her 28-year-old husband collapsed in fits of hysterics. Organisers had also built huge swings above the tables where acrobats performed a number of stunts just yards above the royal couple’s heads – like a scene from Moulin Rouge.

 

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Qatar’s royal family has taken over Harrods, the famed London luxury department store, its already astronomic offerings are becoming even more bling.

The Qataris have done a deal with London yacht brokerage Watkins to offer a range of superyachts and megayachts to the store’s ultra-rich clientele.
Along with an alligator skin umbrella and a pair of mink underpants Harrods honchos will be able to pick up a multimillion-dollar yacht right in the store.
Yachts on offer range from the $11 million Ron Holland-designed Kestrel 106 built in Turkey to the ultra-cool $165 million 295-ft. Fincantieri project Mars (above) from Italy by London-based H2 Yacht Design team.
Other models on offer include a semi-displacement 213-ft. Heesen superyacht with an interior design by Bannenberg and Rowell, and the 246-ft. Mogambo due for delivery in March 2012.
Luxe charters will be offered as well as sales; the new initiative is obviously targeted at the oligarch and oil sheikh set.
"There are a lot of potential charterers and purchasers who don’t want to travel to yacht shows and would rather meet with our expert team to discuss potential options without jargon or hard selling,” Watkins’ MD Adrian McCourt tells Superyacht News. “Its like having Monaco at Harrods.”

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Prince William and his new bride, Catherine, took part in their first big post-wedding event, in what one royals watcher called their "coming out" party.

Britain's royal family celebrated Queen Elizabeth's 85th birthday Saturday, but all eyes were on two newlyweds -- the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Prince William and his new bride, Catherine, took part in their first big post-wedding event, in what one royals watcher called their "coming out" party.

They appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the first time since their April 29th nuptials, and drew the loudest applause.

There was, reported CBS's Dana Lewis, a booming gun salute and a military fly-pass on a gorgeous afternoon in front of the palace, to honor the Queen and her celebrity entourage, which included William and Catherine.

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Since the 17th century, British monarchs have celebrated their birthdays with ceremonial parades called trooping the color. They've been called the epitome of pomp. Soldiers display regimental flags, which in battle help lost troops find their way back to their units.

But, says Lewis, "The tourist attraction was less about the Queen's 85th and much more about the newlyweds."

A mounted William was wearing the same red tunic and blue sash from his wedding, his bride, the former Kate Middleton, not far away (in an open car), providing what Lewis referred to as "a treasured but rare photo prize for any tourist lucky enough to get a glimpse.

"Like rare love birds, the couple has hardly been seen since their wedding day," Lewis continued. "They surfaced this week at a gala dinner to raise money for charity, and of course, to show off Catherine's latest gown. The British media have already dubbed her 'The Queen of Fashion."'

The couple has a new home, an apartment at Kensington Palace, where William once lived with his mother, Princess Diana, until her death in 1997.

Now, with the honeymoon over, they're "back out and out in public in spectacular fashion," Lewis says, "fortunately, just in time for London's tourist season."

William and Catherine are scheduled to make their first official foreign visit later this month, to Canada and then - Los Angeles.

Majesty magazine Editor Ingrid Seward told "Early Show on Saturday Morning" co-anchor Russ Mitchell the festivities did indeed mark William and Catherine's "coming out."

On the Buckingham Palace balcony, she observed, "The Queen and Prince Philip came out first, and there was a cheer. But when Catherine and William came out, there was really a free-zone of excitement.

"I think it's just - their presence. They're young. It's an unknown quality. And I think that's made the whole royal family appear more exciting. The royal family is, in fact just the same, but they appear more exciting because they've got this wonderful, golden young couple."

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The 5th stage of Marbella Classic Poker will take place between the 11th and 12th of June.

The 5th stage of Marbella Classic Poker will take place between the 11th and 12th of June. There will be two qualifying satellites, first will be Thursday 2nd of June: a Freezeout of 70+10. The second will be Thursday 9th with a 50€ buy-in and 50€ re-buys.

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Manchester United old boys in Barbados tournament

Phil Neville looked across the departures lounge at Gatwick on Wednesday and couldn’t believe his eyes.

The former United defender and current Everton captain was about to depart for Barbados for a family holiday.

Wayne Rooney is also holidaying with his family on the tiny Caribbean island.

When the season shuts down, single, younger footballers may head to Marbella, Mallorca or Las Vegas for their holidays, while those with families go for Portugal or Barbados.

What Neville didn’t expect was to see scores of former team-mates and rivals. The largest collection of former Premier League players ever were heading to Barbados for the inaugural British Airways Legends tournament, organised by the PFA in Manchester.

The six-a-side competition starts today at Bridgetown’s famous Kensington Oval cricket ground and includes teams from United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle, Chelsea and Blackburn.

The United squad is comprised of captain Andrew Cole and former strike partner Dwight Yorke, together with fellow treble winners Ronny Johnsen, Quinton Fortune, Jesper Blomqvist and David May.

Lee Martin, who scored the winning goal in the 1990 FA Cup final, is also in the squad, along with goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington.

Teddy Sheringham will play for a Spurs team which includes Darren Anderton, while Chelsea are well represented with Gianfranco Zola, Gus Poyet, Frank Leboeuf, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Roberto Di Matteo. Newcastle may not have won a trophy since 1969, but their veterans’ side must be fancied, for it includes Alan Shearer, Robert Lee, Gary Speed and Tino Asprilla.

The former United players pride themselves on their fitness. Only goalkeeper Pilkington is still playing professionally with Luton Town, but as Cole said: “You have to look after yourself when you stop playing. You can’t go from training every day for 20 years to doing nothing. You have to stay sharp, mentally and physically.

“I’m always in the gym and, while playing golf might not keep me as fit as being chased by Jaap Stam in training, all the lads in Barbados are fit and we’re aiming to win the tournament.”

Cole is from a cricket-mad Jamaican family and his parents moved to England in the 1950s.

“My dad has no interest in football,” he said. “He came to watch me a few times during my career and was bored. He didn’t understand what was going on, but when I told him that I was playing at the Oval in Barbados his eyes lit up. The San Siro, Old Trafford or Camp Nou don’t mean much to him, but Garfield Sobers and the Oval do – even though I’m playing a different game.”

Cricket legend Brian Lara is likely to guest for the Liverpool team. A keen footballer, Lara is friends with Yorke, Cole and the former Newcastle ‘keeper Shaka Hislop.

When players retire, most claim that they miss the craic of the dressing room more than anything.

“This tournament gives us a chance to recreate that,” said Cole. “I travelled the world with these lads at United and had great times and memories to share. We didn’t always dwell on games when we were playing them because we had to focus on the next one straight away, so it’s nice to sit down with the lads and talk about the winning the treble and great games, like beating Juventus away and drawing 3-3 with Barcelona in Camp Nou.

“It’s also a chance to catch up with former rivals. I’m great friends with Michael Thomas for example. He scored the goal which won Arsenal the league at Anfield in the last minute, yet he never talks about it.”

“I love catching up with old team mates,” said May. “The Scandinavian lads now live back in Norway or Sweden, so it’s the only chance we have to get together.

“The only thing which has changed is that we’re a bit older and we don’t do as many dressing room pranks as we used to.”

Maybe Phil Neville can rest easy on his sun lounger.

 

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Britney Spears announces UK shows

Britney has announced some UK dates on her ‘Femme Fatale’ tour, which the popstress is promising will be her best shows yet. Apparently she’ll be singing (miming? does she still do that?) no less than 21 songs, with two “surprises”. I’m putting money on one of those surprises being her rendition of ‘Snooker Loopy’, which I hear is awesome. Tickets for the shows go on sale on Friday.

Tour dates:

27 Oct: London, O2 Arena
30 Oct: Birmingham, LG Arena
6 Nov: Manchester, MEN Arena

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Former FIA president Max Mosley does not believe there is "the slightest chance" the rearranged Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead this year.

Embarrassingly for current FIA president Jean Todt, the Frenchman has been reminded by Mosley that he needs the unanimous agreement of the teams for changes voted in on Friday to take effect.

The 26-man World Motor Sport Council voted for the race in Bahrain to be reinstated on the calendar on October 30, with the inaugural Indian Grand Prix scheduled for that date moved to early December.

However, article 66 of the FIA's International Sporting Code states no amendments shall be made "unless unanimous agreement is given by all competitors already entered".

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, Mosley said: "I don't think there's the slightest chance the grand prix will actually happen.

"Apart from anything else you cannot change the calendar, in the way it has been proposed, without the unanimous agreement of the teams.

"The council organises the event, but if there is going to be a change, for example moving the Indian event, there has to be unanimous agreement. It's absolutely part of the rules.

"So until written agreement of the teams is forthcoming, you can't actually change the date. It can't be done."

The teams are known to be furious with the proposals, in particular as they made it abundantly clear to F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone in Monaco 12 days ago that the season ending in December was "totally unacceptable".

In the wake of the furore that has unfolded in recent days in the wake of the WMSC decision, Ecclestone is now considering a rethink and a new vote.

"The way things are at the moment, we have no idea what is going to happen," Ecclestone told The Times.

"Better we move Bahrain to the end of the season and, if things are safe and well, then that is fine, we can go. If they are not, then we don't go and there are no problems.

"We listened to that report from the FIA and that was saying there were no problems at all in Bahrain.

"But that is not what I am hearing and I think we can see that we need to be careful.

"The issue is whether it is safe and good to have a race. We can change this October 30 date by having a vote by fax if necessary.

"It can be done, and fast."

The WMSC acted on the basis of a report received by one of Todt's vice-presidents, Carlos Gracia, who was received by a number of prominent Bahrainis at a time when a curfew was still in force.

"The problem there was that they sent someone to look at Bahrain who speaks no English, and as far as I know speaks no Arabic," added Mosley.

"He was taken around by representatives of the government, of course had no knowledge of what was really going on, and above all obviously didn't ask to see the sort of people a human rights lawyer, or somebody of that kind, would have asked to see."

Mosley believes the rulers of Bahrain would use the grand prix "to further its aims", and "to try and give the impression that all is well in the country, when it's very far from the truth".

Mosley added: "So it almost becomes an instrument of the regime in oppressing the people who are being badly treated.

"That's when I think it goes beyond what you can accept as a sporting body."

In response, Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa, head of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, insisted the situation in the Gulf kingdom is stable.

He added: "We've been through a difficult period, and the objective of hosting the grand prix is to unite the people of Bahrain.

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BBC bill for first and business class travel soared by 60 per cent in the last financial year despite the corporation's pledges to cut expenses.

Figures revealed under the Freedom of Information Act show that BBC executives are still enjoying a luxury lifestyle, spending at least £2.3million on non-economy travel in Britain and overseas, the equivalent of £6,400 a day.

The total bill for train and air fares was £23million, but the BBC refused to provide a complete breakdown of how money was spent outside its central booking system, which accounted for £13.3million of its annual tally.


Rocket rise: The expenses bill for first class travel in taxis, on trains and planes, at the BBC has gone up by 60 per cent

This means licence-fee payers are being kept in the dark about how much of the remaining £10million, which is spent on external travel agents, is used to fund the most expensive travel tickets.

The corporation is supposed to be reducing its expenses as part of cost-cutting measures after agreeing to a six-year licence fee freeze at the current £145.50.

 

Insiders admitted that the increase in travel spending is partly the result of the BBC's £1.5billion plan to move 50 per cent of its programming out of London by 2016.

Scores of executives and thousands of staff have been shuttling between London and Manchester to attend meetings about the new Media City site in Salford.

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Staff who are relocating have also been regularly travelling between London and the North-West to look for homes.

Executives have pledged that in the next five years 50 per cent of the programming budget will be spent outside the capital, and have already started moving top shows from London.

But this requires sending staff and guests who live in London around the country, with the licence fee payer funding their travel and hotel bills.

Leaked documents reveal that the broadcaster expects to spend an additional £157million simply on hotel, travel and taxi bills for staff, presenters and studio guests being ferried around the country.


Shift: Much of the travel bill has been taken up by the move to the BBC's new Salford Quays site in Manchester

With its sport department moving to Salford, the BBC will have to spend up to £5million sending staff back to London to cover the Olympic Games next year.

Other moves include switching production for the Hampton Court and Chelsea flower shows to Birmingham, and creating a drama centre in Cardiff.

First class train tickets can sometimes be cheaper, for example under a special offer, than walk-up standard class fares, and BBC staff are now allowed to travel first class if this is the case.

Matthew Sinclair of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'The management at the BBC seem to be completely out of touch.

'While everyone else is cutting back they are still expecting first class treatment at licence fee payers' expense.

'It is also very disappointing that they are still resisting proper transparency.

'Taxpayers should be able to see how their money is spent.'

A BBC spokesman said: 'The BBC adheres to a strict expenses policy, and with specific exceptions such as long distance travel where staff are working immediately on arrival, all travel is economy class.'

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best seats at the Olympics will go to the shamed football chiefs of FIFA.

The prized tickets are part of a £1.5million bonanza scooped by Sepp Blatter and his cronies for London 2012.

They will enjoy the most sought-after views in the Olympic stadium and, as the Mail revealed on Saturday, rub shoulders with City fat-cats and big-money corporate sponsors.

The preferential treatment will infuriate the 900,000 sports fans who were snubbed in the public ballot for seats.

Families who failed to secure even a single seat for any event of the tournament will wonder why  disgraced Blatter has been given the red-carpet treatment.

He has been gifted a coveted access-all-areas pass to the Games and can look forward to a host of perks including being ferried around London in a chauffeur-driven BMW.

It means he will be able to watch blue riband events such as the men’s 100m final for free, and with views superior to anyone else’s, even those lucky enough to have secured top-price £725 seats.

Blatter was re-elected president of Fifa, world football’s governing body, last week despite damaging corruption claims swirling around his organisation. In a farcical  ballot, the 75-year-old Swiss was the only candidate standing, after his main rival dropped out amid bribery allegations.

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windsurfer Nick Dempsey has the luxury of knowing a spot at London 2012 is already all but his and he's adamant he wouldn't have it any other way.

With each nation permitted to enter just one boat per class at next year’s Games, competition is fierce within some British ranks with this week’s Skandia Sail for Gold likely to determine who competes at Olympic test event in August and therefore takes pole position for a place at London 2012.
The example of the Finn class that boasts Ben Ainslie, Giles Scott and Ed Wright immediately springs to mind but the men's RS:X is the exception to the rule and Dempsey has to go abroad to make sure he is kept on his toes.
But after wife and double Olympic champion Sarah Ayton called time on her sailing career to spend more time with 18-month-old son Thomas, Dempsey has been let off the leash – and he’s still got a thing or two to prove in Weymouth next month.
“I’ve spent most of the winter away in Perth, Miami and Brazil and I’ve done a few events and managed to get some podium finishes so I’m pretty happy with how it’s gone so far,” said Dempsey.
“Once Sarah stopped sailing it allowed me a lot more freedom to get on with my programme and I train a lot with the Spanish, the Portuguese and the Brazilians so unfortunately I had to go over to Brazil for two months!
“For me it’s great that Sarah stopped sailing and for her it’s great as well. It’s allowed her to be a mother and it has allowed me to commit to my campaign 100 per cent – I don’t have to worry about her and Thomas.
“I don’t envy the Brits who have to fight for their place in the Olympic squad at all. They do have very competitive training but that’s why I go abroad to train with the foreigners.
“Sail for Gold caught me out a little bit, it’s coming around very quickly but I'll still be looking to perform.
“It is quite early on in the summer season and I’m trying to peak for the Olympic test event and that’s quite a way out.”
Dempsey, who has claimed ISAF World Cup silver and bronze in Miami and Palma this season, will still be a forced to be reckoned with at Sail for Gold and he has fond memories of the Weymouth venue, having been crowned world champion there in 2009.
Having secured Olympic bronze in Athens in 2004 and then finished an agonising fourth place at Beijing 2008, Dempsey is in no doubt as to where his priorities lie.
“For me it’s not really about winning Sail for Gold – it’s all about winning the test event," he added.
“Sail for Gold is more of a stepping stone but having said that it’s still a big competition and so I’ll be looking to perform well and get up in the top positions.
“Weymouth is a fantastic venue – it’s got everything. Anything can happen on any given day so it’s going to be for the all-rounder who can deal best with a range of conditions.
“The Olympic test event is my priority because there is only one event worth winning in my eyes and that is the Olympic Games.
“Everything else is a dry run or a build-up or you’re doing something within that regatta to prepare for the Olympics.”

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Monster Yamaha’s Cal Crutchlow has said he would like to do the Senior TT on a MotoGP bike

Monster Yamaha’s Cal Crutchlow has said he would like to do the Senior TT on a MotoGP bike after his career in the premier class is over and he’s do it for the passion not for the money.

The former World Supersport Champion, who lives on the Island, reckons that a MotoGP machine would easily outpace a Superbike and that, after three years of learning, he could be a force to be reckoned with. Crutchlow is due to take part in a champions parade lap on the island tomorrow alongside Mick Doohan and Nicky Hayden.

“I might do the senior on the GP bike. It's open so you can do it on any bike. I haven't road raced but I would. At the end of my career I'll do it. Not because I need the money or anything but because why not? I live on the island, it's a passion. Every time I cycle round it I think this would be great to do. The more laps you do, the more you know,” said Crutchlow.

"I'd do the Northwest 200 first, I entered that in 2006 but I didn't do it because I was injured. I was concentrating on British Supersport at the time. You need three years to learn the TT and then go fast. I can go fast, I know where I’m going. I'll see on Wednesday I'm doing a parade lap on an R1. We were going to try and get an M1 but it was too close to Silverstone.”

Even though MotoGP bikes are hugely stiff compared to the way Superbikes are set-up to cope with the bumps of the Isle of Man, he says that GP bike would outpace a Superbike over the 37.73-miles, as Cameron Donald showed last year on the Suzuki.

“Those bike are so good what you lose on the bumps because they’re still you would make up everywhere else. You would make up time on Mountain because of how open it is. A Superbike would never beat a MotoGP bike around the TT, no way,” he added. “Cameron Donald did 117mph on a Suzuki MotoGP bike last year and it was raining on the Mountain, and he'd never even been on the thing.”

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Ryan Giggs could become the ‘new Tiger Woods’ as sponsors abandon him over his alleged philandering, marketing experts believe.

Natasha’s publicist Max Clifford told ITV’s This Morning that ‘a lot more’ revelations were to come, and she is understood to have signed a six-figure tabloid deal.

They predicted that the firms which have helped amass a £34million fortune would react unfavourably to the wrecking of his family-man image.

And they warned that, unlike the golfer who still has a long career ahead of him, 37-year-old Giggs is unlikely to have enough time to rebuild his reputation before he ends his playing days.


United in public: Stacey Giggs has so far stayed with the shamed footballer and the couple are currently out of the country as further revelations come to light

Giggs’s biggest deal, which has earned him £20million, is with the sportswear giant Reebok, but it declined to respond yesterday when asked by the Mail whether it would be standing by him.

The Manchester United star’s downfall came after he was revealed to have taken out an injunction forbidding reporting of an alleged relationship with former Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas.




Then, at the weekend, his brother Rhodri’s wife Natasha revealed that she and Giggs had an eight-year affair.

She is said to have regularly slept with the £80,000-a-week star until April this year, during which time she and Rhodri had a son who will be five this summer.


More to come: Natasha Giggs is understood to have signed a six-figure tabloid deal following the revelation that she had an eight-year affair with Ryan Giggs, the brother of her husband Rhodri, pictured right

The alleged affair raises the prospect that Rhodri could now demand a paternity test to examine the possibility that his brother is actually the father of the child.

‘He looks just like Rhodri – but then the two brothers also look very similar,’ a friend was quoted as saying.

The boy was born in August 2006, two months before Ryan and Stacey Giggs’s own son was born.

DNA testing experts confirmed that there would be sufficient markers in samples from brothers who were not genetically identical twins to establish paternity.

Rhodri fled abroad yesterday after apparently telling friends that his marriage is over.

Meanwhile, Ryan was due to stay, with wife Stacey, at their favourite hotel in Spain.

But the couple cancelled their room at the plush Marbella Club and are now believed to have switched to a more private villa.

A source at the exclusive resort told The Sun: 'Their booking was suddenly cancelled. It's a shock to hear of the trouble in their marriage.'


Big deal: Giggs' sponsorship with sportswear company Reebok has helped to earn him £20m


Struggle: Marketing experts have said that Giggs will find it extremely difficult to recover his image in the time he has left in his playing career

It was reported at the weekend that 28-year-old Natasha decided to speak out from a sense of betrayal after Giggs took out his ill-fated injunction to keep his alleged affair with Miss Thomas secret.


Serial adulterer: Tiger Woods lost several sponsorship deals when his affairs came to light

Marketing experts said firms would now be loth to associate themselves with him. Along with Reebok, Giggs signed deals to publicise the Swiss watch firms Patek Philippe and Cyma, car manufacturer Citroen and phone company Saudi Telecom.

They were attracted by a combination of his former teen heart-throb image and his more mature self-styled persona as happily-married family man, linked with good causes such as Unicef and his being named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Nigel Currie, of the consultancy Brand Rapport, said the latest developments were ‘extremely damaging from Giggs’s point of view’. He added: ‘What he had going for him from a marketing perspective was his seemingly clean-cut personal image.

‘A little like Tiger Woods, he had this untouchable air about him, almost Mr Perfect – he was seen as a model professional and a really good guy.

‘Once that image goes, he’s likely to find his whole unique selling point has gone, too.’

Gillette stopped showing adverts featuring Woods after he was exposed as a serial adulterer, while the management consultancy Accenture also cut back the golfer’s role and Gatorade dropped Woods-branded drinks.

Mr Currie said Giggs was in a different position to clubmate Wayne Rooney following last year’s revelations that he had paid women for sex.

Key sponsors Nike, Coca-Cola and computer games manufacturer EA Sports initially stood by Rooney, although Coke eventually dropped his £600,000-a-year deal earlier this year.

‘Rooney already had something of a bad boy image, so while that will have affected family brands it won’t necessarily worry more lad-orientated brands,’ said Mr Currie.

‘But for Giggs at this stage of his career, these are pretty damaging accusations to recover from.’


A tired looking Rhodri was driven from his £170,000 terrace home yesterday by his best friend, the actor Will Mellor


Before the storm: Rhodri Giggs and his wife Natasha enjoy a meal on holiday

Following the exposure of his alleged affair with Miss Thomas, Giggs’s wife is understood to have stuck by him, but should that change now he could also face losing a large chunk of the fortune which has made him Britain’s 20th-richest sportsman.

When claims of the affair with Natasha emerged, Giggs was already out of the country with his wife and their son and daughter. His sister-in-law and her two children – one by a previous relationship – also fled abroad.

The brothers’ aunt, Joanna Wilson, described Giggs as ‘a dirty dog’ with ‘no morals’.

Yesterday his brother, a delivery driver and non-league football manager, looked tired and stressed as he left his £170,000 terrace  townhouse in Bolton.

Having packed a suitcase, Rhodri was driven away in his Audi R4 by Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps actor Will Mellor, who was best man at his wedding last summer after Giggs pulled out following a row.

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Mercedes' Nico Rosberg was presented with the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy for 2011 in a ceremony in Italy on Saturday night

The trophy is awarded annually to a driver who has impressed not only with their speed and on-track achievements, but their character and approach to the sport. It is named in honour of 1960s Formula 1 and sportscar racer Bandini, who died in an accident at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix.
"It's a special thing to get this trophy, because it's not only for the sporting achievement, but also the mentality and approach, that they award you with this," said Rosberg.
"That's very nice of them. The history of this trophy is very big, and it's a very well known price not only in Italy but internationally. That's great and I'm very honoured."
As part of the ceremony, Rosberg drove the 12 miles from Faenza to Brisighella along public roads in a Mercedes DTM car.
"Driving the DTM through the country roads with the traffic coming from the front and a police car moving the traffic away was incredible," he said. "And spectators all along the way. I drove for quite a long time and it was great."

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Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is calling for a U-turn over the calendar reshuffle after the backlash that has been caused by the reinstatement of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Amid a wave of criticism about the decision to reinstate Bahrain, plus concerns voiced by teams and drivers about safety in the Gulf state if the event goes ahead, Ecclestone has now called for a rethink.
With the Formula One Teams' Association expected to make clear its stance towards the Bahrain situation later on Tuesday, Ecclestone is now suggesting that India be reinstated to its original October 30 date.
That would allow Bahrain to be given a date in December, which could be ditched more easily if the political situation in the country does not leave it safe for the race to go ahead.
Ecclestone was quoted as saying by The Telegraph: "The way things are at the moment, we have no idea what is going to happen. Better that we move Bahrain to the end of the season and, if things are safe and well, then that is fine, we can go. If they are not, then we don't go and there are no problems."
Although FIA president Jean Todt justified the decision to reinstate the grand prix on the back of a report issued after a fact-finding mission by representative Carlos Gracia, the viability of that has been called into question.
Campaign group Avaaz suggested that human rights groups consulted by the FIA had close links to the government, and Ecclestone himself now has doubts that the situation in Bahrain is as good as the report suggested.
"We listened to that report from the FIA and that was saying there were no problems at all in Bahrain. But that is not what I am hearing and I think we can see that we need to be careful."
Although F1 teams have kept quiet in public so far, it is understood that there is widespread dissatisfaction at several aspects of the Bahrain decision - including the questions about safety and the fact that calendar is now scheduled to run until shortly before Christmas.

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